The holidays will soon be here, and to celebrate with all my furry friends I've decided to do a holiday card exchange! Basically, if you'd like to get a holiday card from me I'll be glad to send one out in exchange for one from you! Just note me with your name (real or furry if you'd prefer!) and address and I will send you mine in return -- it's as easy as that! This is not restricted to US residents only either -- I'd be more than happy to exchange cards with anyone anywhere in the world! Let's make this holiday season the best one yet! I look forward to celebrating with you all!

Happy Holidays, Everyone!

Just wanted to wish everyone a very fun and safe Halloween! I will, of course, be passing out candy to trick or treaters tonight dressed as Fizzy! Minus the pods because I couldn't complete them on time... (Skirt issues...) XD The kids will still get it though! Walked a Halloween themed 5k as Fizzy without any pods a few weeks back and everyone thought I was Oh -- it was SO cute! So I guess I get to be Oh tonight! So excited to finally be able to do this for the first time in years (I'm usually at Furpocalypse which usually ran through Halloween in years past)! Can't wait to see all the cute costumes and give high fives to any kid who gets what I am! Do you have any Halloween plans? Feel free to tell me about them in the comments below!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

OK, so as I'm sure many of you may have noticed from my latest photo of Fizzy, her suit is mostly done! The only thing I have left to make are her pods, which I have decided to do in a kind of skirt style so when I wear all black leggings and shoes beneath in the age-old stage trick fashion they should hopefully look really cool and mask my human legs! They should have a really cool independent sway that way too, so hopefully it will all work out exactly as I've planned! I've cut out all the pieces and simply need to stitch everything together, stuff it all, and blend all the seams out on all her parts to mask them then she'll be complete! I'm so close I can taste it!!!

Buuuuuuuut unfortunately as much as I want to just plow forward and finish her first, I think I'm going to have to set her pieces aside to start work on my hubby's partial of his fursona, Lucky, instead. XD

Turns out we were right and he's being shipped off on deployment to Antarctica in mid-October (thus why we decided to take Furpocalypse out of our convention schedule this year) so if I want him here for measurements and to try parts on etc. I need to get them done before he leaves. Yes, I could simply take measurements and work off those, but when I'm able to do so I prefer to test things out occasionally to be sure they're fitting right and tweak as I go. Since Life loves to throw curveballs at me that eat up my time I'm afraid that if I try to finish Fizzy's pods before I start on Lucky I will run out of time to get at least the foamwork for his head done before he leaves. Furring Lucky can wait, but I want to at least get the head built before I lose my model, LOL! So unfortunately it looks like Fizzy won't be finished for a little while yet.

I will take some more photos of Fizzy from the waist up to share, and I'll be sure to post WIP photos of Lucky as he takes shape! I'm so excited to be making a shire horse! Have I ever mentioned how much I love horses? Lucky me, I'm married to one, LOL!

OK, so I'm a little late in posting this (working on Fizzy's fursuit head has been keeping me SO busy!), but better late than never, right? My mate and I are celebrating our tenth wedding anniversary on July 2 during Anthrocon this year, so if you're going and want to celebrate with us please either note me or comment below so we can try to get together while there!

Where are you staying? Who are you rooming with?

My mate  buzzybeak and I will be staying at the Hampton Inn (free parking, breakfast, and a hot tub and pool, WOOO!!! ) and will be rooming with our awesome friend  flowkitty! :D


What day are you getting there?

Wednesday, June 29!


Day of Departure?

Monday, July 4 -- we're not missing a minute!


Transportation?

We'll be driving down!


Who will you hang with during the convention?

All my furry friends!  flowkitty for sure, my Bori sis  elbi,  butterscotchbunny97,  ino89777 (as much as we can anyway!),  frothymess, our friend Sarah, and others!


Will you be suiting?

Absolutely! Bizzy the penguin is going to Anthrocon! I wish I could say Fizzy would be too, but sadly she's not finished yet; Real Life just LOVES to throw me curve balls that steal all my time and keep me from working on her. XD


What is your gender?

Female!


How tall are you?

Roughly 5'5".


What do you look like?

Red hair, green eyes, glasses, and I'll be wearing nostricles or possibly ears/tails/handpaws every day! I'll probably look like this but possibly with my purple and pink husky tail!


Can I talk to you?

Absolutely! I love making new friends! ^_^


Can I touch you?

I love hugs! But nothing inappropriate/sexual. Keep it friendly or this Boov will have to bite -- and trust me, you don't want to get bitten by something that can bite through metal.


How can I find you?

If I'm suiting, look for the big pink and purple penguin (fullsuit or partial)! Out of suit I'll be wearing nostricles or possibly ears/tails/handpaws, have red hair, will be wearing my Boov tunic or giraffe apparel (either my new kigurumi or the T-shirt I'm making of the Great Giraffe) and badges of my fursona, Fizzy, and Bizzy too! I'll probably look like this but possibly with my purple and pink husky tail!


Can I visit your room?

Only if invited and only if we're present.


Can I buy you drinks?

Absolutely! I love having a drink or two with friends! :D BUT before you do, make sure I'm OK with it as well as my mate,  buzzybeak -- I'm ONLY interested in friendly drinks. If you try to buy me a drink to hit on me you're going to be shot down REAL quick by both me and my mate. Neither of us is available to be hit on/picked up, so friendly drinks only. Most likely we'll refuse to let you pay anyway; we have our pride, and IF we do let you pay, we'll insist on returning the favor later.


Can I hug or snuggle with you?

Hugs YES!!! Snuggles? Probably not.


Are you nice?

Absolutely! :D


Will you be going to parties?

No.


Do you do drugs/drink/smoke?

No, no, and no. I only drink socially and even then not that much, and I will never EVER do drugs or smoke. EVER. Don't even ask. And if you smoke and we happen to be outdoors, please have the courtesy not to light up around me -- I'm allergic and even just one breath of cigarette smoke will have me doubled over uncontrollably coughing, choking, and trying hard not to throw up in less than a second.


If I see you, how should I get your attention?

Just call out Fizzy, Bizzy, Menei, or my real name (if you know it)! :D "Hey you cute pink thing!" "OMG IT'S A PINK PENGUIN!!!" or "Shake your Boov thing!" will also work LOL!


What/where will you be eating?

 buzzybeak and I are Supersponsors this year, WOOO!!! So we're going to be going to at least two luncheons! :D Apart from that though, not sure exactly; I was recently (like this past Friday recently, UGH) diagnosed with celiac disease so I'm trying very hard to start doing the gluten free thing but I'm pretty sure that's not going to work at AC... So probably gonna be breaking that diet a bit to eat at Subway and maybe get gyros or something. And with Saturday, July 2 being our tenth wedding anniversary I intend to celebrate!!! I want to go somewhere fancy! :D


Can I come with you for food/fun/etc.

If we invite you, yes! But you will be expected to pay for your own bill.


Can I take your picture?

Of course! Just let me know you are so I can pose for you, and if you would be so kind as to link me to it if you post it up anywhere I'd appreciate it! ^_^


What's your goal this year?

Have LOTS of fun, hang out with friends, meet new friends, see every one of Kage and 2's performances, celebrate my tenth wedding anniversary with all my friends, and just generally have the best time I can with everyone!


This year's Anthrocon is going to be so much fun! If any of you are going, I can't wait to see you all there!

So it's probably about time I make a journal to let everyone know what other sites I'm on, huh? LOL! So here goes!

Fur Affinity -- Pretty self explanatory; you're here right now! LOL!

DeviantArt -- I'm trying to get into the habit of posting there when I do here, so most of my recent activity has been on there as well.

InstaGram -- I wasn't very fond of InstaGram at first, but the convenience of being able to post straight from my phone has resulted in my using it a LOT for WIP pics of Fizzy's head, photos and videos of my cats, photos of myself with friends, my hubby, random things, etc. IG has kind of become my playground so if you want to see WIPs of current or future fursuit projects, super cute feline awesomeness, or just whatever I feel like sharing on any random day, please follow me there!

YouTube -- Yep, I have a YouTube! Username was supposed to have been changed to Lunar Dragon, but YouTube is stupid and only changed the display name. Don't worry, CodeMegamind is me! XP

Tumblr -- Fizzy has her own Tumblr! :D I am only semi-active on it right now, and by that I mean simply I have only posted the art of Fizzy I have done so far, but I have plans to make this very active in the near future so stay tuned for updates regarding that!

Twitter -- Yes, I have a Twitter! No, I don't use it. LOL! XP I have not become very active on it just yet and I'm not sure if I will, but if you'd like to follow me on there just in case I'm always happy to have new followers!

And there you have it -- my list of sites, so now you know where to find me!

I'm toying with the idea of posting more simple sketches or doodles as opposed to the large finished pieces I have been doing. They won't take nearly as long for me to do which means I'll be able to post more often even as the time available to me shrinks. Would anyone want to see sketches from me? Or are you only interested in seeing finished artwork? Please let me know what you think in the comments below! Thank you!

So as some of you may or may not have noticed, for the past few weeks I've been pretty much unavailable. This was actually due to a very exciting change in my life: I have been studying to become a real estate salesperson! Yesterday I took both my course exam and the State exam, passed both, and in the morning I sign with my broker and send in my application for my license, which means in only a week I will be a fully licensed and WORKING real estate salesperson ready to help make home buyers and sellers' dreams come true! I'm so EXCITED! Also, some of you might get a kick out of this part:

My last name is Peck. I have a penguin fursuit. I'll be working with Bird Realty. Yup. Can't make this stuff up. LOL!

In any case, the beauty of this job is that I can set my own hours and work as much or as little as I want! I intend to work HARD.

SO! What does this mean for FA?

Well, it's kind of a mixed bag unfortunately. Good for me in that I'll finally be making money. Bad for FA in that time will no longer be my friend (if it ever was to begin with; it will be even less so now). I might not be able to pump out as much art as I have been. I will do my best to make and post what I can, but it will take longer to do just about everything when I anticipate having to take and make calls all day, do showings, go to closings, do open houses, etc. The good news, however, is that as soon as money starts coming in I might be able to commission a few new suits! So that will be something awesome I can share with you guys! All I can do is ask kindly for your patience as I adjust to my new career, spread my wings, and learn to fly with it.

I just want to say a quick thank you to everyone who's shown support for me over the years, now and in the past. You guys mean a lot to me, and I hope I never disappoint you!

OK, so I'm going to Furnal Equinox again! Time to do the yearly meme!

Where are you staying?
The Sheraton/main hotel! :D

What day are you getting there?
Thursday, the 17th!

How long are you going?
Arriving Thursday the 17th and leaving Monday the 21st!

How are you getting to the con?
We'll be driving up!

Who will you be rooming with?
My mate,  buzzybeak, of course! And our friend Sarah. Possibly her boyfriend or her sister as well but not sure on either just yet.

Will you be fursuiting?
Of course! :D

Which suit(s) will you be bringing?
Bizzy the penguin! Unfortunately it looks like Fizzy will not be done in time for FE, sorries! XD I'll be aiming for Anthrocon instead for her, but I'll have Bizzy for FE for sure!

Will you be cosplaying/dressing up?
Nothing themed, no; I didn't have time to make the Megamind cape I had hoped to make... XD Ah well, but I'll have my Boov cosplay (nostricles and tunic)!

What is your gender?
Female.

How old are you?
35 and still young!

How tall are you?
5'5"

Can I talk to you?
Of course!

Can I touch you?
Hugging, high fives, hand shakes, etc. sure! But absolutely nothing inappropriate or sexual.

Can I hug or snuggle with you?
Hug, yes! Snuggles are for my hubby.

Photographs?
Absolutely! :D

How can I find you?
Look for the Boov or the purple and pink penguin!

Where can I find you?
Wherever the mood takes me, LOL! Seriously though, probably everywhere; I plan to try to go to a few panels, dealer's den of course, dancing, karaoke, etc. so I'll be all over the place!

What panels/events do you plan to attend?
See my answer above.

Are you taken? Are you looking for a mate?
Happily married, thanking you!

Can I visit your room?
Unless I know you personally and invite you, no.

Will you be holding a room party?
Absolutely not.

Can I take you for walkies?
Boov and penguins don't need to go for "walkies," LOL! XP

Will you do tricks for treats?
What kind of a trick and what kind of a treat? You can try me, but I'm not a performing Boov/penguin and I'm not easily bribed, so you'd need to make it worth my while, LOL!

Do you do suit swapping/loaning?
No. Absolutely not. Sorries!

Can I buy you food/drinks/take you for dinner?
I'm game for free food and drinks, sure! As long as my hubby can come with!

Are you nice?
Yes! Absolutely!

If I see you, how should I get your attention?
Yell out Fizzy, Bizzy, Boov, or penguin and you'll get my attention! "OMG she's SO CUTE!" and squealing will also work... LOLOL!

What’s your goal for the con this year?
Have fun with friends and make plenty of new ones!

Superheroes or Supervillains?
Megamind!

Can I steal this meme from you?
Of course! I borrowed it from  mangoswirls myself!

Look forward to seeing everyone next weekend!

Bizzy was asked a bunch of questions by her fans and is here to answer them!

This is the first time I've ever made a video like this so hopefully it's cute and not too dorky! Thank you all for your questions and I hope you enjoy the answers! I might do another one of these soon!

This was filmed with my Logitech HD Webcam; I don't know why it decided to constantly try to re-focus, so please forgive that! I didn't want to re-film the whole video; it gets kind of hot in that suit!

Bizzy suit and character owned and worn by me,  menei!

OK, so I've actually been meaning to do this for a while but couldn't get to it until now! Have a question for Bizzy the penguin? Just want to get to know her? Post your questions for Bizzy here and she will answer as many as she can in a video I'll make to respond to them!

Please note the video will be filmed probably in the next few days and I might not respond to your comments/questions here because I will do so in the video!

OK, so I think it's about time I post this up here, just in case. Generally speaking, I only give my Skype name out to friends; I don't openly share it with everyone because I like to know who it is that is contacting me. That said, I'm not sure if some of my followers (or even my non-followers) have found me on there and have sent me contact requests. If you're one of my followers, and in particular one I know on some level/who comments on my stuff/etc., I'd love to accept your request! That said, however, I have a rule I follow fairly strictly on Skype: If I do not know who you are, I will not accept your request. This means that if you've sent me a contact request without bothering to tell me who you are or how you know me I will be declining the request. I have three such requests sitting in my Skype right now and I have NO idea who they are from. I will be declining these requests presently. If you were one of the people sending me a contact request and I have not/did not accept it, this is probably why. I need to know who you are to feel comfortable enough to accept it. If your request was declined, please re-send it and please include in the comment who you are. I will only accept contact requests from people I know. Thank you for your understanding.

I think I want to try my hand at making a fursuit head/partial for the fun of it! Got myself a styrofoam head on its way and will be ready to start on it soon, but I don't really know who or what I should make, so I figured I'd see what you guys think! Would you like to see me try to make:

Fizzy the Boov -- my fursona!
Muad'Dib the Long-eared Jerboa
Chumani the Island Bori (Neopet; Elbi's sister)
Menei the Tigon
XVH2402 "Maverick" the Xenomorph/velociraptor hybrid (Image coming soon! Xenomorphs are SO complex to draw, but he looks awesome!)
An Imp (Character yet to be created; Strange Magic style Imp that can be seen here and here)

Akuna is not an option because I have a friend lined up to make her head if/when I ever decide to get her made and I don't need two heads.

I'm totally indecisive, LOL! Let me know what you think and maybe I'll make it! I know some people wanted to see Fizzy made into a suit; I might do her but I'm still unsure if I should start with her or not LOL! Thanks for any suggestions!

Forgot to post a journal for this yesterday, but my birthday video is complete!



Thanking everyone for making my 35th birthday the best one yet!

OK, so as many of you know, last year I was alone on my birthday (January 14) so I decided to do a live stream as Bizzy the penguin and was surprised when a bunch of my friends showed up at my door for a surprise party! (YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME, YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!! ) Well THIS year we're going to try to top that awesomeness!!! This is my 35th birthday -- yeah, you heard right -- and my hubby will actually BE HERE for it for the first time in YEARS!!! I have a bunch of friends coming to celebrate with us and throughout the day-long party I'll be taking video of the festivities that I will be splicing into a music video to put up on YouTube to share with all of you!

Now here's where YOU come in!

We all know that we all live in different areas of the country/world and can't always make it to visit our friends for things like this, but that doesn't mean you can't be included in the fun! If you have a birthday wish or message for me, draw it out (if you want to include my characters, any of them are fine, just remember SFW!), take a photo, make a video -- you can be in fursuit if you've got one or not at all, doesn't matter -- and link me to it and I'll include it in my video! :D That's right, you heard me -- you don't have to be here to be in my birthday video! Anyone who wishes me well on my birthday makes me feel GREAT and helps make my day just THAT much more special, so anyone who sends me a special birthday wish like this will be included in the fun! So go nuts, be creative! Seriously, even if all you do is hold up a cardboard sign saying, "Happy birthday Fizzy/Bizzy," I'll be happy! Just be sure to NOTE me the link -- DON'T shout it!!! I don't know how many shouts I might get that day and since I won't be online pretty much at all, if you shout it I might not get it -- so note it, please!

If you choose to do anything for me, know that I will reeeally appreciate it and be very flattered! But also know that you don't have to do anything at all! This is not meant as a pitch to get free art or photos or anything; I am merely trying to include as many people in my celebration as I can in the best way I know how. If you even just so much as note me to say Happy Birthday I will put your name on the video under a special Thank You section at the end!

Love you all, and here's to what I hope will be my best birthday yet!

I won't have time to post this tomorrow and forgot to post this before, but I'm going to the New Year's Furry Ball in Newark, Delaware tomorrow to ring in the New Year right -- with all my furry friends! :D I will be bringing my Bizzy partial (no fullsuit this time, sorry; room will be tight and it's only one night anyway) and will be wearing it with my Boov tunic (Mega Man shirt only if that fails, but I think it will work!), and will be wearing my nostricles when not in suit, so if you're going to be there and you spot this Boov around, feel free to say hi! Happy New Year, Everyone!

Just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Smekday!

What the heck, let's do this!

-Step 1
Make a post in your journal containing your list of 10 holiday wishes. The wishes can be anything at all, from simple to really big. The important thing is, make sure these wishes are things you really, truly want.
If you wish for real-life things, make sure you include some sort of contact info in your post, whether it's your address or just your email address where folks could get in touch with you.

-Step 2
Surf around other lists to see who has posted their list. If you see a wish you can grant, and it's in your heart to do so, make someone's wish come true. Sometimes someone's trash is another's treasure, and if you have a leather jacket you don't want or a gift certificate you won't use -- or even know where you could get someone's dream for free -- do it. You needn't spend money on these wishes unless you want to. The point isn't to put people out, it's to provide everyone a chance to be someone else's holiday elf -- to spread the joy. Gifts can be made anonymously or not -- it's your call. There are no rules with this project, no guarantees, and no strings attached. Just...wish, and it might come true. Give, and you might receive. And you'll have the joy of knowing you made someone's holiday special!

-Step 3
The List

(In no particular order)

1. Art of any of my characters! I'd especially love art of Fizzy, though!

2. Any of the color-changing figures of Oh from DreamWorks Animation's film, Home! I only have the bashful Oh one; I still need the others!

3. Talking Oh plushie!

4. Art of Oh! ANY kind of subject matter! He could be eating, sexy pin-up, fixing Slushious, with my characters or with Tip... All of it is good!

5. Any of the other Home items I don't have, like water bottles, Tip's journal, etc. (To make this easy, what I DO have are the daily mood figures, McDonald's toys, and the Oh cuddle pillow/plushie. Anything else I'm still looking to collect!)

6. Tails and ears! The fluffier the better! I'd especially love a fluffy husky/Samoyed tail in Akuna's AWD colors, and ears to match!

7. Night Fury/Toothless tail and "ears!"

8. Toothless (called "cute dragon") hoodie from Canada Cosplay (this one here) in size: XXL with scales and tail! It's just so cute! I know I'll never get it, but I can wish!

9. Penguin stuff because penguins are cool! If they're in Bizzy or Buzzy's colors even better!

10. For all of my friends and family and even those I don't know yet to have a very Happy Holiday season!


If you think you could grant any of my wishes please note me for my address, or you can e-mail me at LunarDragon[AT]nycap.rr.com!

I wish you all a very Happy Holiday!

If you have a wish list you'd like to share with me, please comment below with a link to yours and I'll add it on here! :D

OTHER LISTS:

 slushie-nyappy-paws' Wish List is here
 keedot's Wish List is here
 adleisio's Wish list is here

Snow globe examples: 1 2 3

Looking for that perfect gift for friend or family? Trying to find that special present for that special someone in your life? Custom snow globes make the perfect gifts for anyone on your list (even yourself)!

OK, I'll stop with the cheesy announcer bit, LOL!

I made a few of these for gifts for friends of mine last year and they were so well received that I figured others might want to get them for the holidays too! (I know I would, LOL! XP) So now is your chance! I am officially OPEN for holiday snow globe commissions!!!

Here is what you need to know:

-- Each snow globe commission will be $40 + shipping.
-- Your commission includes the snow globe AND a digital copy of the artwork inside for you to enjoy!
-- If commissioner would like icons made from their artwork, I can do this for $5.
-- Artwork displayed inside snow globe will be 2-sided! This means you will see the same image on both sides!
-- If a second image is desired for the second side, this can be done for an additional $25.
-- All artwork will be SFW/G-rated ONLY.
-- Reference sheets for characters MUST be provided. If you don't have one, I will need to see good artwork showing any markings to work off of.
-- Artwork will be shaded! Example: Lucky the Shire Horse
-- Artwork will be from the waist or hips up ONLY. No full bodies due to the size of the art display in the snow globe; full bodies might be too small when printed for details to be visible.
-- Art may be from shoulders up if the nature of the character requires it (incredibly large erect ears or antlers, for example); commissioner will be notified if this is the case.
-- Artwork will be holiday or winter themed! Characters can hold cups of cocoa, be admiring the snow, licking candy canes, etc. Commissioner can request a particular action or artist will choose for them.
-- If clothing is requested/required, holiday or winter themed clothing will be used. NO complicated or complex designs or patterns, please. If you have a particular outfit in mind, examples would be appreciated. If nothing is specified, a cozy sweater and blue jeans will be used.
-- Backgrounds will be a simple gradient with snowflake pattern ONLY to best compliment the snow globe snowfall and theme.
-- These are full-size snow globes, not miniatures!
-- Snow globe domes are made of a thick plastic instead of glass and are therefore more durable for shipping and handling!
-- Shipping cost will be determined based upon where you live and packaging costs.
-- Once shipping costs are calculated they will be added to the total amount due.
-- Payment in full MUST be received before work will begin on your commission.
-- I will do my BEST to complete all holiday snow globe commissions in time for Christmas! If, however, this is not possible I will notify you in advance.
-- Note me with your ref sheet, address, and any action/clothing requests in order to claim your commission slot!

Happy Holidays everyone!

So I'm back from Furpocalypse! *Throws confetti* It was GREAT seeing all my old friends again, and I'm VERY excited to have made a whole bunch of NEW friends too -- including MANY local furs in my area I didn't even know were here! *Dances* Time for this Boov to plan a local party! All kinds of excited on that front! I wore my Boov costume the whole weekend when not in suit (I just didn't feel right without it, LOL! ) and did a little suiting, got to meet a whole bunch of awesome fursuiters, watch the masquerade and dance competition, and overall have a really good time! And you can't go wrong with hot tubbing!


That said, I have to admit that  buzzybeak and I felt there was something definitely off about Furpocalypse this year. It was very disorganized for one thing; NOTHING ever started on time, it seemed the people in charge of the bigger events were often still unsure what to do even as they were starting things (this was PAINFULLY obvious during the fursuit games), and the OUTRAGEOUS line issues for dealer's den payments on Friday were simply unacceptable. Apart from that though it just felt like something was missing... We're still trying to put our paws (or wings if you will) on what exactly that was, but it seemed like much of the usual fervor we'd come to expect, the atmosphere of excitement just wasn't where it used to be or even was last year. It might be nothing more than everyone being tired for all I know; I'll be the first to admit that I went into this thing over-worked and over-stressed from trying to get everything I needed to get done before Furpocalypse finished on time and was appropriately exhausted, and most of the people I know were going through similar bouts of "Oh crap, I need to get this done!" so it very well may have been that we were all just tired. Only problem is that whatever the case may be, this all happened on the year when Buzzy and I have had to start thinking about which convention we might be cutting out of our yearly schedule in order to save some money...


We might not be going back to Furpocalypse next year.


This isn't definite just yet. We need to see where we are financially next year before we can determine whether we can afford to go back to Furpocalypse or not. There is also a strong possibility I actually will be going back -- but not as an attendee so much as an artist, so more business and less play. We'll have to see how things go over the next few months before we can make the call whether either of us will be returning to Furpocalypse or not in any capacity; sadly sometimes financial needs just have to take priority. I would be very sad not to see my friends there though, so hopefully we can make it back in some form -- whether attending or strictly for business -- so I won't have to miss you all! I love you guys!


I did manage to get some photos of my own this year thanks to my friend  aubrey-face who was kind enough to be my photographer when she was able to follow us crazy penguins around, so I'll be posting those up soon! Thanks  aubrey-face for the help!


And for those of you who actually read all this, here's an exciting head's up: Look for another journal from me to come within the next day or two -- I'm opening for commissions!


Love you all!

OK so I've essentially mentioned this in my submissions I believe but I figure it's time I make a journal to make this official LOL! The official ranking of my fursonas is as follows:

Main fursona: Fizzy the Boov !

Secondary fursonas: Akuna the AWD/Samoyed mix and Bizzy the penguin!

You'll see art of all of them at various points but I just wanted to put this down to make it official.

I mentioned this in my recent post of Fizzy all shaded (here: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/17177954/) but I finally cracked and got an Instagram in case anyone wants to follow me on there! :-P My Instagram name is Fizzyboov (instagram.com/fizzyboov/)! I've posted a few things there already!

So as anyone who read my review last year might know we were pretty disappointed with AC in 2014. I'm very glad to say that our experience at AC 2015 was definitely better than that! However it should be noted that there are a few reasons we had more fun this year than we did in 2014, so let's get right to the meat of the convention.

The programming as a whole, at its core, was exactly the same as last year. Same types of panels and everything, so the same disappointments there. This was actually why we didn't expect it to be any better this year than it was last year going in. That said, many of the programming conflicts that had caused us so much grief last year were corrected this year so we could actually see the things we wanted to see instead of having to go find food or whatever instead. So that was a relief! We were also rather excited to see there were some astronomy panels this year as well as my mate and I LOVE astronomy but sadly the weather/clouds didn't cooperate so viewing the stars never worked out. Oh well. Maybe next year.

This brings us to what I'm going to call the "Anthrocon Must" #1! An Anthrocon Must is something I feel must be done in order to make Anthrocon even remotely worth going to. And what is Anthrocon Must #1? Uncle Kage ( kagemushi) of course! Uncle Kage's Story Hour was absolutely hilarious! This man is a GENIUS at storytelling! I swear, he could take the most boring of children's lullabies and make it exciting and funny just in the way he tells the story! I reeeeeeally wish we could have seen him last year... I have no doubt our experience would have been much better, and that is why seeing Uncle Kage's Story Hour is an absolute Anthrocon Must!

Anthrocon Must #2 is, of course, 2, the Ranting Gryphon ( 2_gryphon)! We missed seeing 2's Rant last year due to whatever circumstance prevented us from going but we managed to see him this year and OMG he is SO FUNNY!!! We were practically dying in our seats from laughter! AC isn't worth going to if you don't see 2, so his Rant is absolutely Anthrocon Must #2. And anyone who went to his rant this year will understand what I am about to say here: ALL HAIL THE GREAT GIRAFFE!!! BREEEEEEE!!! And to those of you who missed it or couldn't go to AC, find his rant on YouTube when someone puts one up you can hear and find out what that means!!! Oh, 2 -- you will never be able to stop what you've started now!

And that brings us to Anthrocon Must #3 -- Kage 2-Gether, the charity show put on by Uncle Kage and 2 together to raise money for the convention's chosen charity! I really hope this is a yearly thing (I'm pretty sure it is but can't remember if it was called something else last year as we, again, missed it... *Groans*) because these two are funny enough on their own but together are just AWESOME! It was totally worth the charity donation to see these two playing off each other on stage, and kudos to the artists doing the doodles projected onto the screens beside them (sorry, I can't recall the names at the moment) -- you guys were just as funny as they were and kept stealing the show!

Anthrocon Must #4 is the fursuit dance competition finals! I have a GREAT DEAL of respect for anyone able to dance like that in a fursuit. It's something I wish I could do but with my handicap I'm kind of stuck being the Queen of the Hip Shake. All you dancer furs out there that competed in both the Novice and the Experienced categories deserve MAD respect for what you can do on that stage in a hot and heavy fursuit! You guys ROCKED THE STAGE in every sense of the word. Love you all!

As far as programming goes that's about it for the Anthrocon Musts. Anthrocon Must #5 is something I, personally, have found to be a must in order to both enjoy AC/get the most out of it AND have something to do when the programming doesn't appeal to you -- you MUST have and wear your fursuit. At least a few times, and for more than just the parade. Half the fun of going to a convention, for me at least, is making people smile and I can do that best in my suit. When that little kid beams because he sees a pink penguin and gets a hug from her, or I practically get mobbed by excited people all wanting a picture with the fluffy thing that brought joy into their lives for even just a moment -- THAT'S what it's all about. I don't care about popularity. I'm not in it for the fame or anything. I'm in it to make people smile, make them laugh, brighten their day, and spread some love and if I can do that then my time has been well spent.

And now we get to Anthrocon Must #6 -- a VITAL one for anyone, like me, who might be handicapped. If at all possible, stay in a hotel close enough to walk to without having to rely on the shuttle. Don't make my mistake and wait too long to book your room; get something ASAP when you can or room with someone who did. We stayed at the DoubleTree this year and had to rely on the shuttle because my handicap makes walking that far impossible/severely painful. This shouldn't have been a problem with the shuttle service to help out and save my handicapped ankle and my bad knee the walk, EXCEPT for a few problems with the service that made it more of a hassle and time drain than I'd hoped. They only have two shuttles running, each on a different route to ferry passengers between the convention center and their hotels (so only one shuttle running to any given hotel, not two). The shuttles only arrive (approximately) every 30 minutes and are almost never on time or predictable, so if you miss the shuttle or don't know if you have/when it's coming you end up standing there waiting for anywhere from 30 minutes to 40ish at times. This is bad enough when you're handicapped but even worse if you're in suit; it's not like you can run inside aaaaaaaaaaaalllll the way to the headless lounge and have someone HOLD the shuttle for you when it gets there while they go try to find you and get you back to it, so you end up standing there in the heat and stagnation dying. And I'm not even going to get into the misery of being in suit waiting for the shuttle AND being allergic to cigarette smoke with smokers who pay NO attention to no-smoking signs. To make matters worse, after the fursuit parade -- which went OUTSIDE this year -- the shuttle was SO delayed it wasn't even coming and I had to walk ALL the way back to my hotel in suit, limping from my handicap, in the heat, while dying. XP Oh yeah, and the shuttle stops running the second closing ceremonies ends so guess what you're doing if, like me, you went to that and didn't know? Yep, walking. Again. Limping for me. And forget going back for the dead dog dance... So the shuttle service was not quite as helpful as I'd hoped. If we'd been able to stay closer by we probably could have suited more as well, or at least partialed, but as it was it was an hour+ ordeal every time we needed to go back to our room for any reason at all. We spent probably 50% of our time (when not watching the programming Anthrocon Musts) just waiting for the shuttle, trying not to die while doing it, or limping back to our hotel room as my joints all decided to hate on me. XD So staying in a closer hotel is definitely an Anthrocon Must, especially if you're handicapped.

And then there is Anthrocon Must #7 -- If at all possible, go with friends or hang out with friends while you're there! This really goes without saying, but it really does make the experience much, MUCH better! I was overjoyed to be able to see  ino89777 for a little while on Thursday night (Thank you, Ino, for introducing me to gyros!!! They're so yummy!!!), and we got to hang out at various times throughout the weekend with our friends  elbi,  butterscotchbunny97,  frothymess, and  shadow-wolf-legend and her mom -- both of whom were also our roommates for the weekend (love you guys! )! All my love to all of you, and to all my other friends who made it the con and we only managed to bump into once or twice in passing as we all ran around having fun (I'm looking at you,  mangoswirls and  talonbat/ lusela )!

And there you have it -- the Anthrocon Musts that must be followed if you wish to have a good AC! With the exception of #6 (I will be making SURE I get a closer room next year) we managed to hit ALL of them this year and THAT is what made AC worthwhile! If we had missed out on too many of them my report would be very similar to last year's (in 2014 we only managed to do #4-7, and only Buzzy managed to do #5 as I was still recovering from surgery and didn't have my suit just yet). All in all though, AC is absolutely EXPENSIVE to attend but fun if you know what to do and when.

So will the penguins be going back next year? YES! Look forward to seeing you all again in Pittsburgh for Anthrocon 2016!

It's taken me a few days to be able to write this so please forgive the lateness. As some of you may know, our eldest cat, Macabee, has been struggling with various illnesses and other ailments for some time now, ultimately culminating in the discovery of an inoperable cancer diagnoses in October of last year. At the time he was able to fight through a scare that almost took his life then, proving yet again that he was the toughest cat in existence. We only expected to enjoy his company for another week or two at best, but eight months later he was still going strong -- surprising and awing us with his zest for life and blessing us with the joy of his companionship. He was a fighter and a survivor, a true blue trooper... But sadly even he couldn't avoid the Reaper forever...

Over the past few weeks we began to notice he was having accidents outside the litter box and trouble walking. He almost never did anything but sleep... And over this past weekend he got much worse. There were times when he couldn't even walk at all; it took him a few tries just to take a few steps at times. His arthritis had become crippling; his back legs and hind end in so much pain by the end that he wouldn't let you touch them. He couldn't control his bladder at all and we suspect his kidneys were failing... His fur was falling out... He tried very hard to hide his misery and pain, but he was suffering and we could no longer let him continue like that. As hard as it was we had to make that most difficult of decisions that eventually faces any pet owner and make the choice no one wants to make... We had to put him down.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015 Macabee was put to sleep here in his own home by our vet -- a kind man who cared enough about him to come to our house so he could leave this world peacefully and happily in comfort surrounded by those he loved and who loved him. He was happy to the very end, purring and happily eating the treats we gave him in his final moments. I cradled his head in my arms as he passed... There was no pain, no crying... It was a peaceful, happy end to a life that had brought so much joy into ours. He was a minimum of 17 years old, probably closer to 18 or 19; we enjoyed a wonderful twelve years sharing his love.

I know some people don't understand when people get emotional over the loss of a pet but Macabee was more than just that for us. He was our best friend and companion... He was with  buzzybeak and I practically since we met. He was with us through it all -- through the good times and the bad, the happy moments and the sad. He was always there to cheer us up, to make us laugh, to love us as much as we loved him... He was our rock, stronger than anyone we ever met -- human OR animal, toughest of the tough and fighting to the end. He survived the abusive life he had before we rescued him to prove that with love and patience even the most scarred of us can move on, let go of the past, and live life to the fullest with no regrets and face it with open arms and no fear. He was THE Macabee, more than just a cat, more than just an animal, and certainly more than just a simple pet. I loved him with all my heart, and I know he knew that. We did everything we could to be sure he had the best life he could live and was loved every moment of it.

We miss you, Macabee. There is a hole now in our lives where you used to be. We loved you until the end, and we love you still. We will never forget you, and perhaps one day we will meet again when we join you on that Rainbow Road.

OK, so after doing a LOT of soul searching and consideration with the suggestions I was given on my last journal (thank you all for your help! ) I have come to the decision that my new fursona (Bizzy the penguin will be my secondary 'sona) is now Akuna, the African Wild Dog/Samoyed mix! You can see the colored concept image I made for her here: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/16541442/ African Wild Dogs and Samoyeds are my favorite canines and the mix of the two just seems to be a perfect match for me! Here is a little about my new pup:

-- Name: Akuna
-- Species: African Wild Dog/Samoyed mix
-- Gender: Female
-- Orientation: Straight
-- Relationship Status: Single
-- Personality: Warm, bubbly, playful, happy-go-lucky, fun-loving. Very energetic, wiggly, and excitable. Usually easy-going and not easily angered, but fierce if pissed off. Extremely loyal to her friends and family and very protective of them. Intelligent and independent. Sometimes silly.
-- Profession: Artist
-- Likes: Boov, cats, animals, art, laughter, astronomy, hiking, swimming, hot tubs, hot springs, dancing, singing, good music, and good company. Is especially fond of holidays and Christmas lights.
-- Dislikes: Selfish people, racists, politics, intolerance, mindless destruction of the environment. Can't stand feeling trapped, caged, or used.
-- Strengths: Reliable, loving, and loyal.
-- Weaknesses: Occasionally stubborn.
-- Favorite Possession: Her plushie of the Boov, Oh, from DreamWorks Animation's Home; she LOVES to cuddle and sleep with it.
-- Favorite Food: Barbequed chicken
-- Favorite Dessert: Popcorn
-- Least Favorite Food: Liver
-- Favorite Restaurant: The Olive Garden
-- Favorite Holidays: Christmas and Halloween
-- Quirks: Thinks she is a calico cat having been raised with felines; doesn't understand when she is told she is a dog.

I love this girl already!

OK, so first off let me state for the record that I love Luneia. I've finally got her design to a point where I love it (although I'm still going back and forth on keeping the feline facial features or going back to straight up dragon) and have even figured out a back story that would open up the potential for me to write stories about her. But there's a problem: Now she feels more like a beloved character and less like my fursona. As some of you may know, this is actually a frustration that has been creeping up on me for more than a year and is what spawned Luneia's redesign in the first place in an attempt to make her still "fit"... But the truth is, this isn't exactly an unexpected issue either. It's the same reason I can never decide on a design for a tattoo, because I KNOW I will not be happy with it eventually. Anything that's meant to represent me will change and/or grow as I do, and if it can't (like a permanent tattoo) I will eventually grow frustrated with it... Or even hate it. The same issue applies to my fursona... Eventually as I change my fursona must too. It's why I began with a white tigress (Menei) and eventually moved on to a dragon (Luneia). The dragon has been my fursona now for 3 years -- a good long time for one design! But no matter what I do, Luneia just doesn't feel "right" any more... She doesn't feel like "me," so it might be time for a change.

I have NO idea what my next fursona should be though. XD

I know some (like my mate) might suggest I adopt Bizzy as my fursona since I have a fursuit of her, but as I keep telling Buzzy I do love Bizzy -- but she isn't me. I fear I'd just end up hating her if I tried to force her into a mold where she doesn't quite fit. I'd rather keep her as the stand-alone adorable penguin she is and create a whole new fursona to better represent me. If I can. XP

I have a few ideas for species in mind that might fit, but I'm not entirely sold on anything just yet. I think a Boov might just be a really good fit for many reasons... But so might a phoenix, some sort of fennec fox/wolf/husky hybrid, a raccoon, or Heaven only knows what else... So I figured I'd see what you guys might suggest would fit me best!

Here's a list of a few of my most dominant personality traits/requirements that I feel would be important to have represented in my fursona:

VERY happy-go-lucky
SUPER friendly
VERY wiggly
Energetic
Excitable
SMART
Fun-loving
CAN GET MAD and be taken seriously, or at least can somehow visibly display anger. I do not want another character that can only be drawn happy all the time; I want versatility with displaying emotion in case I wish to express something else.
Protective/Guardian
Loyal
MUST BE CUTE!!! LOL
Ideally should be easy-ish to draw
Unique/rare species over common would be nice, but not necessary if it's the right species

A few things NOT to suggest:

Bugs. Just no.
NOTHING creepy/gross/gruesome/skeletal/etc.

Anyway, any species suggestions you may have will be appreciated and taken into consideration! Thank you guys for any help.